H

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Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA): See Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996: A federal law that includes Administrative Simplification Provisions that require all health plans, including ERISA, as well as health care clearinghouses and any dentist who transmits health information in an electronic transaction, to use a standard format.  The HIPAA standard electronic dental claim also requires use of the ADA’s Code on Dental . Procedures and Nomenclature code set. Paper transactions are not subject to this requirement.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO): A legal entity that accepts responsibility and financial risk for providing specified services to a defined population during a defined period of time at a fixed price.  An organized system of health care delivery that provides comprehensive care to enrollees through designated providers. Enrollees are generally assessed a monthly payment for health care services and may be required to remain in the program for a specified amount of time.

Healthcare Provider Taxonomy: The code that identifies the type of health care provider involved in furnishing services to beneficiaries.

hemisection: Surgical separation of a multi-rooted tooth.

HIPAA: See Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

histopathology: The study of disease processes at the cellular level.

hold harmless clause: A contract provision in which one party to the contract promises to be responsible for liability incurred by the other party.  Hold harmless clauses frequently appear in the following contexts:

1) Contracts . between dental benefit organizations and an individual dentist often contain a promise by the dentist to reimburse the dental benefit organization for any . liability the organization incurs because of dental treatment provided to beneficiaries of the organization’s dental benefit plan. This may include a promise to pay the dental benefit organization’s attorney fees and related costs; and

2) Contracts between dental benefit organizations and a group plan sponsor may include a . promise by the dental benefit organization to assume responsibility for disputes between a beneficiary of the group plan and an individual dentist when . the dentist’s charge exceeds the amount the organization pays for the service on behalf of the beneficiary.

If the dentist takes action against the patient to recover the difference between the amount billed by the dentist and the amount paid by the organization, the dental benefit organization will take over the defense of the claim and will pay any judgments and court costs.

homologous: See graft.

hyperplastic: Pertaining to an abnormal increase in the number of cells in an organ or a tissue with consequent enlargement.